To pivot or to persevere? Or more bluntly – to give up or to not to give up? This is a haunting question, a question that has ramifications far after an answer has been chosen and it’s also a question that almost everyone in our community has had to face at one time or another. How do you know when to give up and when to keep trying?

William Karstens | Street Photographer

I don’t think it’s a matter of either. In fact either of those are the easier thing to do. Doing things as you always do them can leave a person stagnate. Giving up is, just as it says, giving up. It should be a matter of knowing when to pivot, when to adjust, when to grow in a different direction. A mentor told me, a few times, “Follow your North Star”. It’s applicable, especially to photography, and has been for me specifically. Sometimes, street photography can grate on you. Read more>>

Diana Griffin | Glass artist

I’m thinking that has several factors to consider. First, are you still having fun on a consistent basis. There will be days where you don’t have many sales (not fun), but if you still enjoy your art/craft then continue to pursue your passion. Second would be if you can still financial continue. That’s probably the hardest decision to see if the next event will be profitable. Read more>>

Amelia Rose | Boss Lady

I doubt myself every day. That’s the pitfall of creating something. You create and then offer it up for judgement, never quite knowing if someone is going to hate or love it. There’s a great quote from… well from some movie (something super high-brow. I’m sure, like Shrek, or The Muppets), “We compare our behind the scenes to everyone else’s highlight reel.” When I was feeling overwhelmed recently, a friend asked if Drunk Confections was still bringing me joy… No, it never has. It’s an expression of joy. It’s an outlet and not a source. So I choose to keep going, knowing that some failure is inevitable, but someday I’ll look back on my highlight reel and know all the messy kitchens behind the scenes were worth it. Read more>>

Jasmine Williams Koutouan | Real Estate Agent

Giving up is NEVER an option. I learned this at a early age.Some of my biggest lessons occurred when I was 15 years old and I was apart of a All Women’s Wrestling Team. As you may know wrestling is one of the oldest and toughest sports to mankind. It not only requires strong physical abilities but more importantly mental skills. I had to be very strategtic and continously outsmarting my opponents. Now as a professional realtor I constantly have to keep going not only for me, but for my clients. Read more>>